Ship and loading gear



Aug. 30,1949. I QWES 2,480,318

SHIP' AND LOADING GEAR Filed Feb. 8, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1- 7 I I II "IfMI! v Q I o vd I x o o i 0 Q0 0 o o r l INVENTOR. THOMAS Q sowss ymsuromev Aug. 30, 1949. T, BOWES SHIP AND LOADING GEAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2vFiled Feb. 8, 1945 I ll II Q\ W///// I! mw y P E J m Ffi I 1 m T. 4 Y Ww? m. S g

Aug. 30, 1949. o 'E 2,480,318

' SHIP AND LOADING GEAR Filed Feb. 8, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.THOMAS D. BOWES ms AlToRNEY Patented Aug. 3Q, 1949 UNITED? STATES v-PATENT-:1 ioFric my r 7 2,480,318 .1; I r s ne AND LOADING GEAR v iThomas D. Bowes, Cynwyd, Pa. 7 I f I V: I 1 A'ppl icIation February 8,1945, Serial No. 57 6,8 8 1, K V I My invention is desighe'a toprovide'improved .means for loading, and unloadin av shipex'pedi- Thecarriage non-tiltably supports a hollow,

6 Claims. (01. 214-45) power slewed rotor or rotatable housing upon'which ismounted loadingmechanism, such as a crane, having a fulcrume'dboom provided with lifting andtopping cables. These cables may bewoundon/and unwound from suitable drums driven fromfmotors housed withinthe'rotor and controlled from acab'mounted on the rotor, from which thetranslating. andv slewing motors may also 'be controlled; I I

By my improvements there is provided a relatively light,balancedloading' gear having a low center of gravity, requiringnofcounterbalancing weights or shrouds, and interposing. no obstructionto visibility or to passing under bridges when stowed and a minimumobstruction to visibility when in operation. j I

' My improved gear permits great flexibility of operation so, tha t theship may beloaded. from a dock or lighter or both, or loaded from onewhile unloadin onto theother and all holds maybe prepared for batteningdown the hatch covers at about the same time. Furthermore the severalcranes may be used individually or cumulatively according to theweightof the loadto'be lifted, and may even be" employed for assisting in theunloading of a difierent ship from that on which they are mounted I 1.

' Th characteristic features and advantages of my improvements willfurther appear from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings in illustration thereof-z In the drawings. Fig l is a top planview of a ship embodying my invention; Fig. 2 isa side elevation of theship shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic; transverse,sectional View illustrating the operation of my improved broken away;Fig;'5 is a'sidefelevation'ofthe I I z tached crane housingand of itssupporting track comprised inmyinvention.

In the. em-bodimentlof my invention illustrated in the drawings, a Shipof-an'y desir d hull type has a weather deck lcontaining jhatchways 2, 3and 4 for ingress to and egress from the forehold, mid-hold and aft-holdof the ship. I

The edges of the hatchways are bounded, by coamings 5 spaced inboardfrom the gunwales of the ship sufiiciently' to provide runways 6. ex.-tending longitudinally a major portion of the length of the ships holdsand preferablyfrom near the forecastle 1 to near the bridge 8.

Tracks are laidalong the runways 6 and preferably each includecomplementary rails 9 mounted on each coaming 5, complementary rails iiimounted on a braclset H on the deck of each runway 6, and a rail l2forming a rack lying between the rails 9-I and I0: and ;;preferablymounted on a coamingfi. a I

The complementary rails 9 are vertically spaced from one another to forma race disposed below the coaming channel I L3 in which the hatch coversH! are battened down. The rails IE3 are vertically spaced from oneanother to form a race'slightly above thedeck of the runwayfiw 1Carriages [5 are movable: along the runways 6; each carriage beingiprovided. with'flanged Wheels l6 engaged in: the raceformed by the rails9 and with flanged wheels I! engaged in the race formed by the rails.10. The rails- 9 are adapted to engage both-thetops and bottoms of thewheels "5' and the rails H] are adapted to engage both the tops andbottoms ofthe wheels I 7 so that tilting'pressure applied to thecarriagein any direction is resistedb'y' the rails 9 and Ill, which aredesigned'an'd mounted to withstand both up and down pressure; I

A pinion Hli'smounted-o n'eachcarriage l5 and meshes with a-rack I2.Each pinion is may be rotated, to translate its carriaga'in any suitablemanner; as for instance by an electricmotor I9 connected with the'pinionl8 through the gearing 20 and shafting 2l.* f V Each carriage-comprisesaframe having side beams 22 and end beams 2 3* within which is mountedan annular track 24' having upper and lower edges=fprming" circularrails, 25 and 36;. 00-

operating with complementary circular rails '21 and 28 on a cylindricalhousing 29 to 'form race ways for the sets of antifriction rollers 39andsl The housing 29fjpreferably;comprises a. watertight, ventilated,'cylinder. having an enlarged annular base 34 towhich is attachedwtherail 28 and'a'n enlarged annular 'heail35 to which is fixed the rail 21and on which -isfformed .a rack 36 adapted for engagemerit byfa pinionI3l; adapted the rollers being held inspaced relationto Lone theelectric motors 42 and 43 housed within the, 7

housing 29 and shielded thereby frorn theweath er. The drums 40 and 4|have wound thereon the cables 44 and 45 for manipulating the hoist' 46and boom 41 journalled on the bracket fitl ion the platform 39. A cab 49n'ia y' be mounted on the platform 39 to house the operator and thecontrollers for the several electric motors.

It wi l b nderstpd that y ma ipul tin the motor controls from c'ab 4!l;a carriage l5 may be translated alo gf ai runway 6 to any desiredposition lll tgtfiwie of the ship, the housing 29 mayfbe slewedfaboutits"vertical axis to rotate the boomj'l through any are requisitetoalign the boom with anyides'ired spot on a dock, on a lighter, or infthehold of: the ship, and the boom dl and the hoistj lfiginay be raisedor lowered to pick up ordeposit'fa load'in any desired spot. .7

The mountings of theparriage i5 an d of the rotary housing 29v onantifriction supports held against eitherlupward' r; downward pressure.in their respective racesjobviates the need for counterbalances, and,wherefa load exceeds in weight the" capacity of a single" crane two ormore of the cranes may be soQpositioned as to jointly manipulate suchheavyloads When the cranes are not'inuse, the booms may belowered andlashed fast in the'dottcd line positions illustrated inl'Figs. 1 and 2where they afford: no obstruction to visibility or passage'undr bridges,and even when the booms are-in use they present' 'a minimum obstructionto visibility and occasion aminimumof -inter ference with operationswithin the holds. The cranes may begeifectively used.iniremoving-,stacking and replacing the; hatch. covers,.and do. not interfererwith,such coilerslon-With the placing of deck loads thereon- Having described.myninvention, I claim:

1. A shipj having, a cargo holdandca weather deck containing ahatchway.with a. coaming along an edge thereof anda runway, adjacentto saidcoaming, rails extendingalong said runway and forming, a pluralitypfraces, the.rai1s forming one of said races being mountedonsaid coamingabove said deck, a carriage havi g, wheels, engaged in said racesandheldthe geby against tilting in e h r i ect n. and Joa i e m hani mmounted on said carriage.,,

A i l v s aca veolhol a da w at er k ning h te-hwy w h; wa along andextending above an edge; thereof, a runway adjacent to saidcoaniingrails extending along said runway and forming a plurality ofraces and a. rack, some of said rails including said rack being mountedon s'aid coaming above said deck,.and a carriage'havingwheelsengaged insaid, races and..a' pinionineshing with said rack.

3. Ship loading mechanismicomprising a-frame, a circular track mountedonsaidfr'ame, a sub stantially cylindrical housing having radiallyenlarged upper and lower members complementary to said track and .formifg therewith a plurality of races, motors withinsaidliousing,anti-friction membersin said races,' and a: crane carried,by Said h ndpe teb epbyithelmo ors h rein- 4. A shiphavi'ng adeclficontainin'g a hatchway with a coaming along an edge thereof, railsmounted on said coaming above said deck and on said deck and forming apair of races and a, rack betweem said races; are carriage having wheels,moyablain said iraeesrand held by the rails thereof against upward anddownward pressure, motive mechanism mounted on said carriageandincluding a pinion meshing with said rack; a circular track mountedon said carriage, a h using rotatable on said track, propelling meansfor rotating said housing and including a rack and pinion, -drumsmounted on said housing, andmotor mechanism enclosed in said housing forrotating said drums.

5. ,Al ship, haying a cargo holdhand a deck containing a hatchwayandhaving a :runway extending longitudinally along a substantial portion ofthe length of said hold. between saidhatchway and the gunwale of theship, rails extending along said runwayand forming a plurality of racesanda rack, acarriage having. wheelsen gaged in said races between therails thereof and held thereby against tilting in either direction, theentire carriage being positioned between an edge of, saidjhatchway. andthe. gunwale of the ship; a weatherproof, cylindrical; hollow rotorrotatable. onlsaid carriage about a yer tical axis, peripheral,rails'around said rotor adjacent to the bottomandtop thereof, anannular track fixedto said carriage and encircling said rotor betweentheperipheral rails'thereof, rol lers between the .top andboittom, ofsaid annular track and the respectiyaperipheralrails of said rotor, aboom mounted, onsaid'rotor andtending, when loaded, l to-v unbalancesaid. rotor and carriage but counteracted by said rails, said wheels androllers,bein freely -'movable relative to the rails engaged therebynotwithstanding the loading of said boom.-

6. ,A ship having a. deck with-a runway along a gunwale thereof, rails.forming spaced. raceways extendingualonglsaid, runway, a carriagebetween said raceways and having wheels engaged between therailsiof therespective racewayssaid rails holding said wheelsagainstupwardondownward ;movement without. substantially impairing theirmoveability al'ongtheraceways a weather.- proof, cylindrical, hollowrotonrotatable about a vertical axis, said rotonbeingsubstantiallysymmetrical in form about saidtaxis, complementary rails on saidcarriage and rotor for supporting said rotor adjacent to thatch-and.bottom thereof, rollers between the complementary rails last named, saidrails ,and, rollers holding said rotor against upward movement,.,downward movement or tilting movement without substantially impairs ingthe rotatabilit Qftherrotorfi andaboom-fulcrumed on saidrotonn THQMIAS;D. BONES.

REFEREN(3ES CITED The following ref erences. are. of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES-- PATENTS Number I Name. Date- 600,757 Walsh .Ma-r.l15,1898 635,561 Mallory Oct, 24 1899 742,10l. Titcomb n --.Oct. 20, 1903 r960,224 H1llett, May 31, 1910 1,637,457 Runge .,.Aug.l2, 192.71,970,240, Marchaut .Aug; 14,.1-934 2,216,104, Flanagan,g .,0ct..1,.19402,355,235., Nick1es,,.. .Aug..8, 19,44 2,374,074 B'erby et a1. Apr. 17,1945

